his desire.' Shortly after, he was removed to Newgate, tried at Westminster for remaining in England contrary to the statute, convicted, and condemned to death; which sentence was executed at Tyburn on the 21st of February, 1595, when the unhappy sufferer was only in his 35th year.

Among the bards of the Elizabethan æra, Southwell shone with no inferior lustre. With much of the general character of the period, fully participating in its peculiarities, often led away by antithesis, and sometimes conceited in the choice of words, there is an overflowing of mind, a richness of imagination, and a felicity of versification in this author, which eminently entitle his productions to the regard of after times. His melancholy life and dreadful fate, too, would spread a deep interest over his works, even were they in themselves destitute of it, which is very far from being the case. Southwell was also an elegant and powerful prose writer, and a deep casuist. We have been so much pleased with the moral and pathetic turn of the lines Upon the Image of Death,' that we subjoin them as a fair specimen of the minor poems of this author.

Before my face the picture hangs,

That daily should put me in mind,
Of these cold names and bitter pangs
That shortly I am like to find;
But yet, alas! full little I

Do think hereon, that I must die.

I often look upon a face

Most ugly, grisly, bare, and thin;
I often view the hollow place

Where eyes and nose had sometimes been;

I see the bones across that lie,

Yet little think that I must die.

I read the label underneath,

That telleth me whereto I must;
I see the sentence, too, that saith,
'Remember, man, thou art but dust;'

But yet, alas! how seldom I

Do think indeed that I must die!

Continually at my bed's head

A hearse doth hang, which doth me tell
That I ere morning may be dead,

Though now I feel myself full well;
But yet, alas! for all this, I
Have little mind that I must die!

The gown which I am used to wear,

The knife wherewith I cut my meat;
And eke that old and antient chair,
Which is my only usual seat;
All these do tell me I must die,
And yet my life amend not I.
My ancestors are turned to clay,
And many of my mates are gone;
My youngers daily drop away,

And can I think to 'scape alone?
No, no; I know that I must die,
And yet my life amend not I.

Not Solomon, for all his wit,

Nor Samson, though he were so strong;

No king nor power ever yet

Could 'scape, but death laid him along.
Wherefore I know that I must die,
And yet my life amend not I.

Though all the East did quake to hear
Of Alexander's dreadful name;
And all the West did likewise fear
To hear of Julius Cæsar's fame;
Yet both by death in dust now lie;
Who then can 'scape, but he must die?
If none can 'scape Death's dreadful dart,
If rich and poor his beck obey;
If strong, if wise, if all do smart,

Then I to 'scape shall have no way:
Then grant me grace, O God! that I
My life may mend, since I must die '.

*22.-CHARISTIA,

An antient pagan feast well worth reviving in christian times. It was celebrated with the intention

See 'St. Peter's Complaint, and other Poems, by the Rev. R. Southwell, edited by W. J. Walter, 12mo;' and the Literary Gazette for 1818, p. 658.

of reconciling friends and relations: the head of the family then hospitably entertained all those to whom he was related or connected, and, by the benevolent distribution of mutual presents, it was hoped that all animosities would cease!

Fly far from hence, you who polluted are,
Nor at this holy festival appear;

Let mothers who have used their children ill,
And brothers, who a brother's blood would spill;
Let those who pry into their parents' age,
And wish their exit from the mundane stage,
Let stepdames who their husbands' children chase,
From home, and force 'em to destructive ways,
Let none of these the friendly feast disgrace;
Or those, who for the sake of sordid gain
Will not from stealth or sacrilege refrain;
Far, far from hence, your feet unhallowed take,
Nor the sweet peace of this assembly break;
Here piously paternal gods adore,

To day sweet Concord has the ruling power.

24. SAINT MATTHIAS.

OVID'S FASTI.

Matthias was, probably, one of the seventy disciples, and was a constant attendant upon our Lord, from the time of his baptism by St. John until his ascension. The gospel and traditions published under his name are considered spurious. 25.-SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.

p. 40.

See SEPTUAGESIMA,

*-. 1798.-THE FRENCH ENTERED ROME.
The NIOBE of nations! there she stands,
Childless and crownless, in her voiceless woe;
An empty urn within her withered hands,
Whose holy dust was scattered long ago;
The Scipios' tomb contains no ashes now;
The very sepulchres lie tenantless

Of their heroic dwellers: dost thou flow,
Old Tiber! through a marble wilderness ?

Rise, with thy yellow waves, and mantle her distress!

The Goth, the Christian, Time, War, Flood, and Fire,
Have dealt upon the seven-hilled city's pride;

She saw her glories star by star expire,
And up the steep barbarian monarchs ride,

Where the car climbed the capitol; far and wide
Temple and tower went down, nor left a site :-
Chaos of ruins! who shall trace the void,
O'er the dim fragments cast a lunar light,
And say, 'here was, or is,' where all is doubly night?

Alas! the lofty city! and alas!

The trebly hundred triumphs! and the day
When Brutus made the dagger's edge surpass
The conqueror's sword in bearing fame away!
Alas, for Tully's voice, and Virgil's lay,
And Livy's pictured page!--but these shall be
Her resurrection; all beside-decay.

Alas, for Earth, for never shall we see

That brightness in her eye she bore when Rome was free!

Astronomical Occurrences

In FEBRUARY 1821.

SOLAR PHENOMENA.

BYRON.

THE Sun enters Pisces at 57 m. after 9 in the evening of the 18th of this month; and he rises and sets on certain days, during the same period, as in the following

TABLE

Of the Sun's Rising and Setting every fifth Day. February 1st, Sun rises 27 m. after 7.

Sets 33 m. after 4

To change the time as indicated by a good sundial, to that which ought to be marked by a well regulated clock at the same instant, or to convert apparent to mean time, the numbers in the following Table must be added to the hour given by the dial. The addition for any intermediate time is to be found by proportion.

TABLE.

m. 8.

Thursday, Feb. 1st, to the time by the dial add 13 58

Tuesday,

Sunday,

Friday,

6th,

14

28

LUNAR PHENOMENA.

Phases of the Moon.

New Moon. 2d day, at 38 m. after 6 evening.

10 morning.
midnight.
5 morning.

Moon's Passage over the Meridian.

The Moon will pass the meridian of the Royal Observatory at the following times, which, if the weather be favourable, will afford good opportunities for observing her in that position, viz.

February 7th, at 5 m. after 4 in the afternoon.

The illuminated phase of this beautiful planet will bear the following proportion to the whole disk at the beginning of this month, viz.